Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 80: Butch Reed vs. Dick Murdoch (10/14/85)

The rematch of one of my favorite Mid South matches on the set (Match # 75). If Reed holds up his end I’ll be very pleased because that would be three in a row in my mind. Not sure if Murdoch is full heel by now, but it has been a few weeks. He’s still the North American Champion it appears. Reed has something on the line to, but I’ll have to find out later. It looks like an Olympic medal to signify a title.

Early lock ups are good and done with purpose. Nothing crazy or mind blowing. Headlocks that Murdoch sells as almost taking him off his feet. Reed works on Murdoch’s arm like he started doing early in the last match (arm wringer & arm bars). Awesome story telling detail. This time it’s Murdoch who is put in a long arm/shoulder lock and threatens a punch. After getting to his feet he threatens a punch again, and winces like Reed till he’s taken down. He tries an arm drag takeover, but Reed hangs on and roles through. Murdoch did the same thing last time, except he ate a few elbows. Also, Reed hangs on a second time. Full role reversal.

Murdoch makes the ropes and sells the shoulder. Quick lock up and Reed messes with the shoulder again. Murdoch glares at him. Then again. They continue the story in reverse. They said something about a TV title only being on the line the first 15 minutes, so maybe that’s Reed’s medal.

Ten minutes gone by in the match. I like that Murdoch tries a quick roll up to get outta town the minute he has a slight advantage, but Reed stays on Murdoch shoulder. Murdoch’s big counter are overhead elbow strikes. Did Murdoch and Stan Hanson ever team? Would have been awesome. Ya think Steve Austin idolized those guys?

Reed keeps Murdoch in the key lock position on the ground and standing, and though Murdoch tries to body slam Reed, he can’t get him up with one arm. He does maneuver to the corer and start throwing fists/elbows. BTW, the ref looks like Karl Fergie. I just noticed, because he wasn’t invading the one foot between the wrestlers.

Must be some challenge or stip on the TV Title thing as the ring announcer has been saying “5 minutes gone, ten left for TV title on line”. When it got to ten minutes in, he went by the minute, and now it’s a minutes and 15 seconds. Geeze! It’s obnoxious because it’s hyping drama that the wrestlers aren’t reacting to. I’m so happy when they hit 15 minutes and the North Amer. Title is the only one on the line. Murdoch is pissed. Reed is excited. And they lied; it was less the 14 minutes.

They’ve hit a point where both participants are up and riled up at each other, realizing this is high stakes, and the time quotes at 15 minutes was good for setting the stage for second/third gear. I just didn’t need 25, 20, and 15 second updates.

Murdoch (I guess he’s the real athlete in this match) runs the runs to create movement (and therefore excitement) since the crowd is buzzing, and Reed does the spot where he leap frogs and eventually throws one big punch. Murdoch sells big and does the bump through the ropes to the floor. Same segment as the last match, we’ve officially moved forward, and every wrestler should have to watch these matches and learn. From how to build a match to taking the less is more approach, and as simple as Murdoch grabbing his face. Why don’t people grab their faces?! You were punched. Thank you Capt. Redneck.

Murdoch slow to get back in, and Reed really wants him now. He’s got the momentum and Murdoch is still dazed. Murdoch gets Reed into a position where he runs the ropes and Murdoch leap frogs. This time he turns and lands the punch. Some heat, but the crowd has been pretty reserved so far. Twenty minutes in we get our heel heat segment, with Murdoch meticulously going to work on Reed’s left knee. You can hear Reed screaming in pain the audio is so good. It’s mostly kick/punch/knee stuff early, but Murdoch will back off or make the ref back him off so you get the visual of Reed struggling in the corner.

Cool spot before Murdoch drapes Reed’s leg in the rope and destroys it with knees: Reed fights to his feet as Murdoch is backed off by the ref and acts like he’s ready to fight, even though we know he can’t walk at that moment.

The story is there, but so far the excitement and crowd involvement isn’t quite there. It’s one of those matches that would benefit from commentary where Ross was upset with Murdoch in parts. It’s below their previous match, though I’m enjoying the shorter form quite a bit.

The people pop when Reed comes back. It’s essentially a very smart hope spot. Reed powers up, grabs Murdoch’s arm, and keeps wrenching it up and down. This sends Murdoch to his knees in pain, as the shoulder has been worked on, but he throws forearm punches at Reed’s bad knee. Also great is that Reed gets up, still selling, an drops a knee on Murdoch’s shoulder, then sells hurting himself as well.

25 minutes gone by. It wasn’t a hope spot, because Reed maintained control, but because he grabbed a hold the crowd died. No big fire up spot. They club each other to death, and you do get the sense of a real fight with these two (no surprise), constantly trading blows, selling the knee or Shoulder, and control moving back and forth. It does die a bit from moment to moment, but the fans are more engrossed live then they were even 5 or ten minutes before.

More great detail work. Murdoch throws on the Fig Four, but his back is to the mat, so Fergie tries to count him twice. When he does it again and a count starts, he threatens to punch the ref to break up the count. Then, Reed gets out by grabbing the foot with his hand and powering it out of position. This is such great simple logic-based stuff.

Reed is somehow on offense from his knees, selling the bum knee. Murdoch is getting his body beat up enough he can’t maintain control. We’re heading towards the end, but the pace is so deliberate I don’ think people get that. So good, and yet at times, so uninspired. Am I bored or amazed?

30 minutes in. This is odd. Reed comes back for a moment and picks up Murdoch off a whip to the buckle. He spins Murdoch around and Murdoch’s foot clips Ref Fergie. It looks fine, the ref bump and all, but then Murdoch wiggles free and rolls up Reed for the visual fall. So the heel SHOULD be winning in the end? Perhaps I’m missing something, details or context. Murdoch releases him to grab Fergie and try to pull him in, and Reed rolls him up as Fergie gets in to pin him. Reed wins. I guess it’s plausible excuse booking for Murdoch to get his return match. Murdoch argues, but Reed is your North American Champion. Interesting that Murdoch actually goes over and shakes Reed’s hand. I’m guessing that keeps him a tweener and builds up the Flair angle, since Reed yells to the camera that he’s coming for Flair next.

Very good match. It got dull at times, but it was so good overall. Not the classic the last match was, but still such a smart match, and maybe the fact they aren’t speed demons (it’s a slower style) is making me think slightly less of it. So stiff though in a great All Japan 90s sort of way, and the selling is awesome. I also like that the fifteen minute mark signaled a change in the match. Then you also throw in their was a title change. Yeah, this ruled! 3 3/4 and 7.7/10.

Match Discussion Here